Cutting out surgery Q: My wife's doctor says that she has fibroid tumors on her uterus and, of course, they are suggesting surgery to either remove the tumors or to perform a complete hysterectomy. I refuse to believe that is her only option. Are there alternatives? JVW: The United States performs more hysterectomies than anywhere else in the developed world, and many are totally unnecessary. Almost all uterine fibroids are benign and their growth is most likely promoted by an imbalance of good and bad estrogens. Since fibroids tend to shrink and disappear after menopause, the idea behind performing hysterectomy is essentially to bring on menopause. I think it makes more sense to try to balance estrogen levels first before considering such drastic surgery. The good news is there are many natural ways to gain estrogen balance. Your wife could try DIM (diindolylmethane), a safe and effective way to bring balance to her estrogen ratio. Other supplements that will support this effort are vitamin E (600 IU at bedtime), supplemental magnesium (300 milligrams daily), and vitamin B6 (50 milligrams a day). She could also try SSKI, a potassium and iodide solution that my patients have had great success using. It can shrink or even eliminate uterine fibroids. But the very first step is to find a physician to help you who is familiar with nutritional and natural healing and then have your wife's estrogen and progesterone levels checked. In most cases uterine fibroids are uncomfortable, but not life-threatening. She can afford to take some time to try some alternatives before resorting to surgery. | 
